Medioimages/Photodisc/ DCL
My parents were both born and raised in Iowa and though I never lived there, having been raised on the East Coast, much of my family still resides in the state. My dad recently returned from an extended Midwest visit and commented on how much his home has changed over the years. Smaller family farms have been replaced with massive farms where huge swaths of land produce monoculture crops.
When we drove across the country last year I noticed the same phenomenon, and even more frightening, the majority of these crops are now genetically modified. Specifically, corn and soy are mostly a Roundup Ready crop that contain a gene called glyphosate. The gene allows farmers to kill all the weeds around the crop using herbicides without harming the crop itself.
On the next page, learn how weed killers are harming Monarch populations.
